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Teen Charged in Arson of Jackson Synagogue as Civil-Rights Groups Condemn Attack

Prosecutors say the suspect told investigators he set the blaze because of the synagogue’s Jewish ties.

Damage to Beth Israel Congregation sustained after a fire on Jan. 10, 2026, in Jackson, Miss.
A surveillance camera inside a Jackson, Mississippi synagogue captured the moments Spencer Pittman poured liquid from a canister inside.The videos, shared with CNN by Beth Israel Congregation, were captured in the early morning hours on Saturday and show Pittman carrying a canister and pouring liquid throughout. Some of the liquid appears to drip on the persons clothing as well.
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Overview

  • The FBI arrested Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, who made his first federal court appearance Monday in Jackson.
  • Pittman is charged under 18 U.S.C. 844(i), a federal arson statute that carries a potential five- to twenty-year prison term if convicted.
  • An FBI affidavit details gasoline purchases, removed license plates, surveillance video of a masked figure inside, and entry through a broken window using an ax before the fire.
  • Investigators say Pittman suffered burns and sought hospital treatment before his father contacted authorities; a burned cellphone and a hand torch were recovered at the scene.
  • The ADL and Simon Wiesenthal Center condemned the attack, noting no injuries but heavy damage to the library and Torahs, and recalling a 1967 KKK bombing of the same congregation.